1 malware family

Maxlas

Also known asMaxlas

Maxlas is referenced here only as a possible point of comparison for a previously undocumented Linux botnet operation dubbed SSHStalker. The supporting content states there is strong ecosystem overlap with Outlaw/Maxlas-style playbooks, but no hard attribution. Based on the provided content, the observed operation used automated mass SSH compromise, a Golang SSH scanner disguised as "nmap," on-host compilation of multiple C payloads after installing GCC, and IRC-based command-and-control with redundancy across multiple servers and channels. It used noisy persistence via cron and service/init mechanisms, often operated from /dev/shm, deployed multiple IRC bot variants in C and Perl, included log-cleaning components that tampered with utmp/wtmp/lastlog, maintained a library of Linux 2.6.x-era kernel exploits, and included rootkit-class artifacts, cryptomining tooling, and a web-scanning kit for harvesting exposed AWS credentials. The content also notes Romanian-language or nickname signals and says the playbook resembles Romanian-linked Outlaw/Maxlas-style Linux botnet ecosystems, but explicitly says there were no definitive Outlaw/Dota identifiers and attribution remains unconfirmed, possibly indicating a derivative or copycat operator. Known related naming in the content is limited to Outlaw and Dota as comparison points; no high-confidence sub-groups for Maxlas are established in the provided material.

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ARSENAL

Associated malware families

1 malware family attributed to this actor across reporting.

FamilyContextEvidenceLast seen

SSHStalker“Flare’s research team has uncovered a previously undocumented Linux botnet operation we’re calling SSHStalker… SSHStalker relies on classic, “old-school” IRC botnet mechanics…”1Mar 8, 2026

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

1 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

1 SOURCESView more in app

flareio blogNews

Feb 9, 2026

Old-School IRC, New Victims: Inside the Newly Discovered SSHStalker Linux Botnet - Flare | Threat Exposure Management | Unmatched Visibility into Cybercrime

Referenced as a known Linux botnet ecosystem/playbook similar to SSHStalker (SSH brute-force, automated staging, IRC-based coordination, persistence). No direct attribution is made in the content.

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Target overlap

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Tradecraft mapping

Every observed MITRE ATT&CK technique, grouped by tactic.

Malware arsenal1

Families this actor is known to deploy, with IOCs and behavior.

Exploited CVEs

CVEs this actor has used in known campaigns.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Observables

Domains, IPs, and hashes tied to this actor, refreshed continuously.